This was one of the nuggets Gavin Starks, founder of , shared during a recent , hosted by Tom Raftery, global vice president, futurist, and innovation evangelist at SAP. Read on to find out what Starks thinks companies should do to deliver on their net-zero commitments.

Decentralize Data, but Maintain Control

Icebreaker One had its genesis in the Open Banking Standard that Starks helped develop in the UK, allowing financial institutions, government regulators, startups, and others to share data easily. He envisioned bringing the same large-scale data interoperability to sectors involved with achieving net-zero commitments.

“We spent a couple of years talking to hundreds of people and, whether it was someone from a hedge fund, insurance company, engineering firm, or elsewhere, the conclusion was that we just need all the data,” said Starks. “However, the natural response from countries, big organizations, or multinationals is to build a Big Data portal and put all the data in one place. That doesn’t work.”

Instead, Starks launched Icebreaker One as a decentralized, secure way to share net-zero data across markets and the public and private sector, supporting benchmarking, progress metrics, and compliance reporting.

“The blueprint we got from open banking is to leave the data where it is. Then when it’s needed, provide consent within a tightly controlled process so that your risks and controls are managed,” said Starks. “We want to bring together the legal components, the business units, the regulators, and so on. If we construct this in a way that’s very repeatable, we can connect people rather than collecting all the data.”

Define Relevant Data: Is This Decision-Worthy?

Starks was the first to admit that measuring and reducing CO2 emissions requires sharing across vastly diverse, distributed, and decentralized networks of information. He said that Icebreaker One is building out use cases, incorporating the entire data value chain, including customers and supply chain partners. Working out details such as liability, dispute resolution, and inter-organizational relationships will be painstaking, but worthwhile.

“Rather than talking about real-time data, we talk about relevant time data, meaning what’s decision-relevant data. As we layer this together with other information, we’re looking at the full scope of data required for material impact,” he said. “We’re trying to unlock a web of net-zero data. And that connects financial information, engineering information, and environmental data to help inform net-zero decisions.”

Measure the Impact to Realize the Net-Zero Vision

Starks advocates a multi-dimensional approach that brings government and industries together, sharing actionable information. In other words, let the data show how you’ll deliver a low carbon future.

“We’d love to see information flows about the demonstrable net zero at the design stage, the construction stage, the operational stage, and the decommissioning stage of infrastructure projects so the information can flow to people who need it,” he said. “This includes people in the financial community who need to make investment decisions, the engineers who need to know what works, and the policymakers who need to help unblock things that are in the way and amplify things that will accelerate that change.”

Three Net-Zero Questions to Ask

After attending COP26 last year, Starks was concerned but fired up to move ahead with the next climate change strategies.

“The levers of change have to be a combination of government and policy, large companies, and the investment community driving that change,” he said. “The action for consumers and for citizens is to ask your pension provider, your bank, your insurance company, what is their net-zero strategy? And how are they going to prove it? The third question is how your chief executive’s remuneration is tied to delivering that target.”

Trusted Data Strategy of the Future: Connect, Don’t Collect

As net-zero demands grow, Starks advised people to resist “natural corporate antibodies” against data sharing and open up the exchange of information. He also called for systemic yet realistic thinking to transform risk modeling and business behaviors for short- and long-term progress aligned with net-zero commitments.

“The richest companies on earth have made their money by connecting data. And through those connections, their data increases in value,” he said. “You need a dose of realism…There are structural changes that will happen, but you also have to demonstrate the business value along the way.”

No doubt one of the major challenges for sustainable business will be cultural, replacing age-old competitive conventions with practices grounded in the collective good. With the right policies and technology, we can surface and share the data that will help save our future.

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Global engineering and IT conglomerate Hitachi is committed to making the “decarbonization of society” a reality. Through its sustainable business practices and its public-private partnerships, it acts as a catalyst for climate action from the inside out.

Hitachi and 51ˇçÁ÷believe in bringing profit and planet together. As Alistair Dormer, chief environmental officer and executive vice president of Hitachi Ltd., says, “Decarbonization is good for the environment and good for business.”

Utilizing technology solutions to address climate change, Hitachi shows how digitalization and the decarbonization of society can coexist by taking the following steps.

Empowering Employees as Sustainability Ambassadors

Hitachi empowers its employees to step up as sustainability ambassadors and embody its philosophy of “powering good.” Employees across all levels of the organization are encouraged to deliver sustainability value through business activities and as global citizens. Hitachi uses digital e-learning tools to promote greater environmental awareness and has a specialized group training on environmental risks and compliance once a year. It is also integrating sustainability into executive key performance indicators, providing financial and sustainability performance links to motivate employees to take actionable steps to mitigate climate change.

Decarbonizing Core Operations

In 2021, Hitachi pledged to be carbon neutral in its operations by 2030, as part of its . To reach this ambition, Hitachi uses solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy at many of its business sites. Nine of its sites across the United States, Europe, and Japan have completely transitioned to using 100% renewable energy. Its rail business in Italy installed solar panels on its factory roof, which is expected to save the site in energy costs, illustrating firsthand that companies can see financial returns on environmental investments. Through these types of transformative changes, Hitachi is closing the gap to reaching its carbon neutral ambitions.

Creating Accountability across the Value Chain

In addition to going green in its own operations, Hitachi pledged to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by 2050. Business leaders at Hitachi recognize that to advance its bold vision to decarbonize society, it must extend its influence beyond the boundaries of its own business processes. As a lead manufacturer in the transportation industry, Hitachi aims to make sustainable transportation options more extensive and accessible. By reimagining transportation, Hitachi hopes to digitalize the future of transport and simultaneously improve the whole passenger journey while making the environment a top priority.

Scaling with Ecosystem Partners

Hitachi has developed an expansive ecosystem of multi-stakeholder partners to advance its sustainability objectives and has been a key customer of 51ˇçÁ÷for over 25 years. Today, Hitachi runs a large majority of its enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems on 51ˇçÁ÷software and is transitioning to . To further Hitachi’s sustainability strategy, it recently held several sustainability workshops for various global business units with SAP.

“Digital transformation plays a fundamental role in the realization of Hitachi’s ambitious climate goals,” shares Dormer. “Hitachi’s long-standing partnership with 51ˇçÁ÷continues to advance our sustainability efforts and sets us up today to be a profitable and sustainable business tomorrow.”

Hitachi also firmly believes that the public and private sector must collaborate to achieve long-lasting change and cooperates closely with governments and key intergovernmental institutions to tackle climate change together. Hitachi joined the UN Race to Zero campaign and was the first Japanese company to serve as a principal partner of COP26, the recent climate change conference in Glasgow.

Recently, Hitachi worked on an Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) funded innovation project to develop the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure through digital innovation. Working with a consortium of partners, it created a system to collect and analyze data from vehicles and the network of charging stations to optimize EV charging in the most efficient way. By sharing best practices and engaging in capacity building activities, Hitachi not only sets a strong example but also enables other actors to realize their sustainability ambitions.

Finally, Hitachi is investing over over a three-year period on research and development of high-efficiency products, energy management systems, and hydrogen-related technologies to help unlock digital innovation to achieve a decarbonized society. This research will be beneficial not only to Hitachi, but also to other cities, governments, and companies looking to reduce emissions and make a positive impact on the environment.

As a front-runner in the sustainability space, Hitachi offers a powerful example of how organizations can accelerate climate action from the inside out. Hitachi empowers and educates its employees and leverages the power and reach of digital technologies to accelerate its progress towards its Sustainability 2030 plan. 51ˇçÁ÷is proud to work with Hitachi and to showcase the innovative ways in which our customers are taking concrete actions towards tackling climate change and working with other global players. We are all in this together.

To learn more about SAP’s sustainability initiatives, visit .

Vivek Bapat is senior vice president of Purpose and Sustainability Marketing at SAP.

Is this too bold? I don’t think so. The recent COP26 climate conference and the Glasgow Climate Pact gave a strong signal to countries and businesses to set more ambitious targets in order to prevent further irreversible damage from climate change. Given the climate and social crisis the world faces, we need to “go big” with our ambitions and have the courage to act, thereby living up to SAP’s purpose to help the world run better and improve people’s lives.

More than a decade ago, 51ˇçÁ÷set out on its sustainability journey with the objective to create positive economic, environmental, and social impact within planetary boundaries. Along the way, we have experienced the benefits as well as the challenges of integrating economic, social, and environmental performance into how we measure and steer our business success holistically. Setting and monitoring ambitious and measurable targets while leveraging digital solutions have proven crucial to decarbonization.

Raising our ambition to get to net-zero is therefore one of the key cornerstones on our path forward to implementing our holistic approach to sustainability, which looks across climate action, the circular economy, social responsibility, holistic steering and reporting, and the many areas of interconnection.

The from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as well as SAP’s intense engagement on the ground at COP26 have left us with a deepened understanding of the science, the role of business, and the impact of SAP. With an increased sense of urgency, we recognize the responsibility, as well as the opportunity, to step up and drive a faster transformation toward a sustainable future.

Leveraging SAP’s global reach, today we announced the release of 51ˇçÁ÷Cloud for Sustainable Enterprises to help companies quickly adopt holistic sustainability management capabilities. In addition, we commit to accelerate SAP’s from 2050 to 2030 and to reach our climate goals, in line with the Paris Agreement, 20 years earlier.

What Does Net-Zero Mean?

Net-zero is a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal out of the atmosphere. It has gained significant traction, with net-zero pledges covering 16% of the global economy in 2019 and recently growing to nearly 80% committed to net-zero by 2050. Because the various definitions of net-zero and how to get there have been growing too, so have criticism and skepticism.

Leading up to COP26, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to provide a credible and independent assessment of corporate net-zero target setting in line with climate science, which enables companies to align their near- and long-term climate action with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

­­­Building on its carbon reduction journey since 2009, 51ˇçÁ÷became a member of SBTi and, in 2017, was the first German company with a science-based carbon reduction target for 2050. In 2019, 51ˇçÁ÷raised its commitment and adopted a 1.5°C science-based emissions reduction target.

On our pathway toward net-zero, the next intermediate milestone is 2023, when 51ˇçÁ÷aims to be carbon neutral in its own operations – two years earlier than originally targeted. This includes all direct (Scope 1), indirect (Scope 2), and selected categories of value chain (Scope 3) carbon emissions, such as business flights, employee commuting, and external data centers (co-locations and hyperscalers).

The potential for decarbonization can be amplified considerably if we enhance our efforts along the entire value chain. In 2020, carbon emissions amounted to 12,300 kt along SAP’s entire value chain (including upstream and downstream emissions) compared to 135 kt net emissions for SAP’s own operations.

Targeting Our Entire Value Chain

Reducing emissions from the use of SAP’s sold products will be the primary lever, followed by purchased goods and services. Our focus will be on the following key areas:

• Accelerating the transformation of on-premise customers to cloud
• Strengthening engagement with key suppliers to commit to net-zero and deliver products and services on a carbon-neutral basis
• Using best-in-class data centers (our own, our co-locations, and hyperscalers) with sustainable programming and a cloud carbon footprint calculator for all 51ˇçÁ÷cloud solutions
• Enhancing direct investments in renewable electricity as well as nature-based and technical-based funds to neutralize residual carbon emissions

The next step is to receive external validation by SBTi. We have started setting up a cross-company program involving experts from different lines of business to prepare for our net-zero transformation and will continue to make progress transparent, for example in our annual .

We are not starting from scratch. We have many achievements to build on, but we are also charting new territory. 2030 is just nine years away. The challenge will increase the more we move upstream and downstream into our value chain. We will face both synergies as well as additional complexity as we interface with our further focus areas for sustainability, including holistic steering and reporting, circular economy, and social responsibility based on respect for human rights.
But as our external sustainability advisory panel confirmed for us, this is the right thing to do. Our net-zero commitment is one of many actions we are taking at SAP. It will take all of us to work together to deliver the outcomes we need for people and planet, and for a profitable, sustainable business.

As Luka Mucic, CFO, member of the Executive Board of 51ˇçÁ÷SE, and Board sponsor for sustainability at SAP, at COP26: “We must reinvent the global economy. That is what it will take to limit global warming to 1.5℃. All of us must build sustainability into the fabric of how we do business. Only when a business strategy is sustainable itself, and is embedded in all aspects of the business, can we reduce negative impacts and create regenerative systems.”

Daniel Schmid is chief sustainability officer of 51ˇçÁ÷SE.

CDP was founded at 20 years ago in response to a warning by that if climate change remained unchecked, the world would warm by six degrees Celsius within the century. As the number of climate-related catastrophes mounted over the years, CDP kept urging companies and governments to report on their emissions and take measurable action.

Above and Beyond

Today, the world’s economy looks to of environmental reporting with the richest and most comprehensive data set on corporate and city action. By scoring companies and other organizations from D to A on climate change, forests, and water security, CDP helps them evolve from disclosing sustainability metrics to taking measurable actions that lead to environmental leadership.

In light of the recent climate conference COP26, it is apparent more than ever that the private sector has a critical role in driving change and leading by example. 51ˇçÁ÷enforced its climate action commitment by moving its carbon neutral target up by two years to 2023. This week, 51ˇçÁ÷received a spot on the prestigious , which announces over 300 companies leading the way to a more sustainable future.

. More than 13,000 companies reported on their environmental impact through CDP, despite the continuing challenges of the pandemic. This was 37% more than 2020 and 135% higher than when governments signed the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015. Between them, disclosing companies in 2021 accounted for over 64% of global market capitalization, including 96% of the FTSE 100, over 80% of the S&P 500, and more than 1,500 companies in China.

SAP’s CDP A rating comes only weeks after 51ˇçÁ÷was named the software industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the 15th consecutive year, 51ˇçÁ÷as an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) front-runner.

Setting the Pace

Achieving top scores in the CDP and DJSI rankings sets 51ˇçÁ÷apart as exemplar when it comes to disclosure. More importantly, 51ˇçÁ÷solutions for sustainability help companies measure and monitor their emissions, making it an enabler for companies that want to do due diligence on their own performance.

“The DJSI and CDP awards recognize Fortune 500 companies that are taking concrete steps to tackle climate change challenges. It is good to receive ongoing independent recognition that 51ˇçÁ÷is on the right track,” said Daniel Schmid, chief sustainability officer at SAP, responsible for SAP’s sustainability efforts. “It’s equally important to embed sustainability in the business strategy, so that it impacts all aspects of the business. That’s how we can reduce the negative impact on our environment and create regenerative business.”

51ˇçÁ÷customers benefit from a range of products to help them to take climate action or to accelerate their participation in the circular, wasteless economy.

The enables organizations to combat climate change by capturing the environmental footprint of products across the value chain so they can build sustainability into the fabric of how they do business. Last month, 51ˇçÁ÷added to its portfolio. The solution helps companies gain better visibility of material flows through their processes including tracking and complying with rapidly changing regulations, especially those concerning product packaging and plastics.

And finally, helps customers meet their ESG performance targets. This solution enables integration of top-line and bottom-line management with an added dimension – a green line for integrated environmental and social sustainability insights and decision-making.

The importance of disclosure cannot be underestimated. Business is still business, but in today’s challenging world, the purpose is not to just turn a profit; it’s to remain competitive, relevant, and sustainable while turning a profit. While the , sustainability is already material to all companies because the fortunes of business are inevitably linked to those of the planet.

found that the more companies believe sustainability is material to their businesses, meaning it is likely to affect their financial condition and should be publicly disclosed, the more competitive and profitable they are likely to be.

The good news is that after 20 years of running the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, and regions, CDP finally . With companies disclosing and reporting more than ever before, it’s becoming easier to accelerate change, especially with the right tools and technology at hand.

Building on the 2015 Paris Agreement and following the IPCC’s  report that human activity is the unequivocal cause of rapid changes to the climate, COP26 recognized this sense of urgency. Two weeks of negotiations among more than 120 world leaders resulted in the , which gives a strong signal to countries and businesses to be more ambitious and focus on the action needed to protect the planet from further irreversible damage.

The Glasgow Climate Pact mandates countries to do more and strengthen their 2030 targets next year. The countries agreed on the rules governing international carbon markets, mobilizing financial flows to developing countries, phasing down coal and phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, and reducing methane emissions. It also recognizes the importance of international partnerships and includes language on development and deployment of technologies and technology transfer. There were pledges by groups of countries to end deforestation and move finance to clean energy.

SAP’s Chief Sustainability Officer Daniel Schmid, along with a small team representing SAP’s leadership in the topics of climate action, circular economy, consumer industries, and government affairs, explored how the event worked, understanding the science and engaging with businesses, policy makers, and startups to emphasize SAP’s role and impact. Given the context of COVID-19, planning was chaotic and most other businesses reported a rush to finalize plans in the final few days.

At COP26, we engaged in as many forums as possible across business, media, and government and were inspired by the many CEOs, CSOs, policy makers, activists, NGOs, partners, and startups. In the middle of all this, our circular economy team also launched a game-changing software solution – 51ˇçÁ÷Responsible Design and Production.

We constantly heard the phrase ‘You can’t manage what you can’t measure.’ In almost every forum, from every stakeholder group, this simple idea was repeated and re-emphasized. It was explicitly linked to the strengthening role of data and digital solutions for climate action.

The Glasgow summit also saw significant business presence, something lacking in previous climate meetings. It emphasized our view that 51ˇçÁ÷is a critical stakeholder in the operating system of business and that coming to grips with climate in industry is first and foremost a question of getting transparency and alignment with the business processes that drive the problem. In terms of how the business world configures itself to a regenerative and net-positive future – another part of the COP26 business leaders’ lexicon – 51ˇçÁ÷holds the key to the door. The question is how do we empower each and every stakeholder group to unlock the collaboration and transformation needed across business, finance, policy makers, and NGOs.

Following nearly two weeks and countless interactions, it’s clear that SAP’s role is to help these key stakeholder groups with:

• Fostering the transparency needed on material impact across the full system
• Connecting businesses across complex business networks and ecosystems
• Engaging the Global South equitably in solutions and supporting the social dimension of climate change
• Offering the insights needed to support the right allocation of capital to support initiatives that deliver regenerative business outcomes
• Navigating the complex policy environment and climate legislations that need to be delivered post-COP26

On reflection, our role as 51ˇçÁ÷should above all support the goals of COP26 by positively advocating and inspiring action based on what business technology can do.

Ultimately, climate conferences like COP26 have a simple purpose – to keep the world within the 1.5 degrees Celsius average temperature increase from pre-industrialized levelsĚý˛š˛Ôťĺ to mitigate the impacts of climate change. COP26 has moved the world closer and kept the possibility within reach.

The pact and the pledges mean nothing unless they’re delivered at the national level. Governments must build policies to give a clear direction to businesses across sectors to reach a net-zero economy, backed by substantial investments and engagement with businesses to drive multi-stakeholder initiatives. COP26 triggers consistent engagement over the next decade and beyond; it’s not a one-time effort.

Our role is to help make this possibility a reality and help drive the action needed across all markets and industries.

51ˇçÁ÷is an active participant in the conference, which brings together government and business leaders, international organizations, and other stakeholders in a common cause to accelerate action toward combatting climate change.

LEAF is a voluntary global coalition made up of private-sector businesses and governments to provide finance for tropical and subtropical forest conservation. With US$1 billion mobilized already, LEAF is on track to become one of the largest ever public-private efforts to protect tropical forests. 51ˇçÁ÷will contribute $2.2 million to the LEAF Coalition as it works to reverse deforestation in vulnerable areas and help achieve the goals of the to combat climate change. As natural carbon sinks and biodiversity treasures, forests are essential for all life on earth and play an important role in mitigating global temperature rise.

“We are committed to being part of the solution to climate change,” says Luka Mucic, CFO and member of the Executive Board of 51ˇçÁ÷SE. “As we accelerate our transformation to be a net-zero company, we continually look for ways to avoid, reduce, and, if needed, compensate emissions. No company or country alone, however, will turn the tide on climate change. So, it is also our priority to collaborate. That’s why we’re excited to join forces and accelerate action as part of the LEAF Coalition. We’re confident that our investment will support nature-based solutions benefitting the environment, biodiversity, and local communities.”

51ˇçÁ÷strives to be a leading example of sustainable business practices – its financial support of LEAF is just one part of the company’s holistic efforts to fight climate change and restore ecosystems. Since 2009 51ˇçÁ÷has aggressively pursued cuts to its own business carbon footprint with a goal of being carbon neutral by the end of 2023 while in parallel continuing its efforts to meet a science-based target to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In addition to LEAF, 51ˇçÁ÷also supports the initiative to conserve, restore, and grow one trillion trees by 2030. The to plant 21 million trees by the end of 2025 while continuing to drive carbon-reducing innovations and pursue a science-based climate target. SAP’s efforts also include active participation in a variety of other funds and initiatives.

And, as a leading provider in enterprise application software, 51ˇçÁ÷is also uniquely qualified to help customers optimize their sustainability performance not only in their own company but across their entire value chain. helps organizations measure and understand their efforts relating to climate protection, diversity and inclusion, ethical responsibility, and more.

“Sustainability directly links to SAP’s purpose of helping the world run better and improving people’s lives,” says 51ˇçÁ÷Chief Sustainability Officer Daniel Schmid. “This means creating positive economic, environmental, and social impact. To live up to this ambition, 51ˇçÁ÷provides customers with products and services that help meet their sustainability opportunities and challenges. We also lead by example and strive to be a role model for sustainable operations and investments.”

In recognition of its efforts to drive innovation and action toward the creation of genuinely sustainable markets, 51ˇçÁ÷was recently awarded the Terra Carta Seal. The seal is awarded to companies whose ambitions are aligned with those of the Terra Carta, a recovery plan for Nature, People, and Planet, by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

Learn more about .

Currently only a fraction of our plastic waste – by the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation – is collected and recycled after use. The rest ends up in landfills or in the oceans and waterways, contributing to global warming.

At the same time, new regulations and policies are being established, such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations. These regulations help ensure that producers are responsible for the recycling, reuse, or disposal of their products. Additionally, impending plastic taxes being proposed in Europe that apply to plastic packaging produced or imported that do not contain a specified amount of recyclable content.

This is great news for the planet, but the new scenario creates a market-by-market challenge, especially for large producers, as it is very difficult to manage product regulations across different geographies. In fact, managing thousands of products and materials across hundreds of regulatory systems in multiple regions is one of the greatest complexity challenges facing global brands in the years ahead.

According to new regulations, companies are required not just to design products and packaging to eliminate waste and pollution. They also must keep materials in use at its highest value for the longest possible period of time. The bottom line is that companies will need to base future decisions on sustainability and recyclability. This change is driven by consumer demand, the availability of technology, and the new regulatory environment.

Manufacturers embarking on transformational journeys are often challenged by complex supply chains, heavy assets, and legacy technology. They must also transition to new business models that require a circular approach to product design from the outset and new approaches like reintroducing the product or its materials back into the manufacturing process at the end of the life cycle.

The solution responds to the drivers behind the change and helps businesses tackle these challenges.

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Stephen Jamieson, global lead for Circular Economy Solutions at SAP, says the new solution will help enterprises tackle this complexity as they move away from a take-make-waste linear economy to a circular one designed to eliminate waste, circulate materials, and regenerate natural systems.

“The solution is designed to help enterprises comply with regulations,” he explains. “It’s currently focused on packaging and plastics, but it will be further developed as different material categories such as batteries or textiles come into scope for regulatory intervention.”

The complexity begins with the roughly 400 different regulatory schemes that are currently in place or planned around the world.

51ˇçÁ÷Responsible Design and Production is, first and foremost, about tackling the complexity of packaging regulations and new taxation regimes. This helps brands to accurately assess and calculate those implications, use these insights to inform how products and materials are designed, and optimize these choices. This collaboration is crucial, together with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and partners, in accelerating the transition to a circular economy.

Investing for the Long Term

Extended producer responsibility won’t come cheap. Jamieson cites the example of the UK, where one study per year for post-consumer packaging waste. The UK scheme incentivizes producers to design packaging that is easy to recycle and helps ensure that they pay the full net cost to manage this packaging once it becomes waste, in line with the polluter-pays principle behind the EPR concept.

That is the cost in the UK alone, which represents three percent of the world. “Do the math, and you’ll see the global impact,” says Jamieson. “Some of the larger manufacturers produce thousands of tons of materials each year. In these markets, you’re talking about very meaningful numbers. And don’t forget the plastic taxes, which tally up to ÂŁ250 per ton in the UK and €400 a ton in the European Union.”

That may sound like a high price to pay, but the benefits outweigh the cost. Visionary enterprises like Unilever find that short-term sustainability costs can lead to long-term savings. According to the company, it has .

In the long run, the EPR approach encourages innovation in product and packaging design. Reuse and recycling consume less energy than manufacturing from new materials. As the costs of collection, processing, and recycling are shifted from taxpayers to the producers of the materials, enterprises will find ways to cover the EPR costs through savings in other areas.

How It Works

51ˇçÁ÷Responsible Design and Production helps businesses manage EPR regulations and prepare for upcoming plastic taxes, a benefit for companies that want to get a head start on meeting their responsibilities

As an example, the solution is designed to enable EPR experts at large global consumer products companies to accurately calculate the packaging fees and meet packaging regulations for a particular market. These experts must understand what declarations are necessary then ensure that they are reporting accurately to those bodies. They must assess the data, understand any exceptions and challenges to the data quality, and ensure everything is codified properly according to regulations. The solution then enables EPR experts to draft an assessment of the policies and fees at play, and finally, to run a formal declaration that will be used as the basis of the company’s payment to the relevant authorities.

An overarching analytics layer allows category managers to see the projection and the implications of different regimes on their product portfolios. This offers a more strategic view for people like chief sustainability officers to see progress toward commitments, such as the elimination of problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging.

Jamieson concludes that 51ˇçÁ÷Responsible Design and Production is essentially an extension of enterprise resource planning (ERP) — something 51ˇçÁ÷has been leading for 50 years — with an additional element. “Now, we’re not only planning the optimization of resources; we’re optimizing them to be regenerative.”

Natasha Pergl is lead for Global Circular Economy at SAP.

This is the latest offering in a growing portfolio of sustainability-specific software applications that help businesses increase their measurement and data management capabilities.

As sustainable business regulations, such as plastic taxes, are put in place, the enables brands to accelerate their transition to circular-economy business practices. The new solution helps companies gain better visibility of material flows through their processes including tracking and complying with rapidly changing regulations, especially those concerning product packaging and plastics. As businesses increasingly develop sustainable products, managing materials and regulatory data is becoming one of the most complex challenges across the consumer industry today.

“The circular economy is based on three principles, driven by design — eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature,” said Andrew Morlet, CEO, . “Digital solutions play an important role in the transition to a circular economy. They enable businesses to embed circular practices across their operations, from designing products to reduce waste from the outset, to tracking the lifecycle of the materials they use.”

With SAP’s new solution, businesses can embed circularity principles into core business processes, helping eliminate waste and unlock new value by designing products to be sustainable from inception. For example, a shampoo brand manager has visibility into the full product lifecycle, including their extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations and the plastic taxes of different markets. This visibility helps the brand manager make design changes to reduce waste and decisions on how to lower the costs of the downstream reuse and recycling systems.

“Every year, we use almost twice the amount of resources than the planet can regenerate,” said Scott Russell, member of the Executive Board of 51ˇçÁ÷SE and head of Customer Success, “Business can play a crucial role in keeping value in our systems for longer through smart, responsible product design that reuses resources rather than disposing of them. There is inherent complexity in designing products that eliminate waste and use responsible materials, but 51ˇçÁ÷Responsible Design and Production tackles that complexity and offers a ‘gold-standard’ solution to our customers, helping to deliver circular products and achieve a regenerative economy.”

51ˇçÁ÷Responsible Design and Production, a cloud-native solution co-developed with on , provides tailored intelligence that enables businesses to keep pace with EPR regulations and plastic taxes, embed circularity principles into core business processes and optimize design for sustainable business. Learn more by reading the blog “.”

51ˇçÁ÷has led by example as a sustainable business for more than a decade. In addition to being named the software industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for 14 consecutive years, the and SAP’s membership in the Value Balancing Alliance illustrate our commitment to integrating economic, environmental and social performance to drive business decisions.

To learn more, check out 51ˇçÁ÷at COP26Ěý˛š˛Ôťĺ .

Visit the 51ˇçÁ÷News Center and follow 51ˇçÁ÷on Twitter at .

About SAP

SAP’s strategy is to help every business run as a sustainable intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 51ˇçÁ÷customers generate 87% of total global commerce. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into sustainable intelligent enterprises. 51ˇçÁ÷helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, 51ˇçÁ÷helps the world run better and improve people’s lives. For more information, visit .

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The inaugural 2021 Terra Carta Seal recognizes global companies that are driving innovation and action toward the creation of genuinely sustainable markets. It is awarded to companies whose ambitions are aligned with those of the , a recovery plan for Nature, People, and Planet, by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

“The Terra Carta Seal recognizes those organizations which have made a serious commitment to a future that is much more sustainable, and puts Nature, People, and Planet at the heart of the economy,” HRH The Prince of Wales said. “We all need to make changes if we are to preserve the planet for our children and grandchildren and these businesses have pledged to make it easier for us all to do so.”

51ˇçÁ÷is one of an inaugural group of 44 companies awarded the Terra Carta Seal. The seal is given to industry-leading companies that have credible transition road maps to achieve net zero by 2050 or earlier underpinned by globally recognized scientific metrics.

Christian Klein, CEO and member of the Executive Board of 51ˇçÁ÷SE, expressed the company’s gratitude for being named a Terra Carta Seal recipient: “At SAP, we focus on driving sustainability into all areas of business to help lead the transition to a sustainable future, and we want to lead by example. We accelerated our pledge to become carbon neutral and we’re now set to achieve that by 2023, two years earlier than originally planned.”

He added that SAP’s impact goes well beyond its own operations. “We’re proud of the sustainability work we’ve done with our own company. That said, we know the biggest impact we can have is by helping other companies operate their businesses more sustainably.”

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Launched by His Royal Highness at the One Planet Summit in January 2021, the Terra Carta provides a practical road map to accelerate the transition toward an ambitious and sustainable future. The aim is to harness the power of nature in combination with the transformative power, innovation, and resources of the private sector. Currently, there are over 400 named supporters of the initiative.

The Terra Carta serves as the mandate for the (SMI), a global network of CEOs who share the vision to accelerate global progress toward a sustainable future.

Like SAP, the Terra Carta recognizes that each industry faces unique challenges in its transition to a sustainable future. Since they are all at different stages of their journey, they also require varying types and levels of support. At the same time, urgent action is required if we are to achieve the 1.5°C target, restore biodiversity, and positively impact the lives and livelihoods of current and future generations.

“Together, we have to build a regenerative economy in which all people can thrive. Technology innovation can help us do that. But time is limited, so we need to apply technology as an accelerator and multiplier for a positive impact,” Klein said. “While we are proud of SAP’s 50-year history, we believe that for all of us, the next 50 years will be the most important in human history. We have to collectively come together to tackle the biggest challenges of our time.”

As world and business leaders gather in Glasgow for the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to discuss their climate ambitions, 51ˇçÁ÷also continues taking concrete action to combat climate change. A large proportion of SAP’s own direct emissions is made up of its car fleet’s fuel consumption. To achieve its ambitious climate targets, 51ˇçÁ÷will eliminate all emissions of its car fleet in the medium term. The company also offers a range of new sustainable software solutions to support its customers on their journey to net zero, including business applications that provide transparency and measurement capability across the supply chain and a path to regenerative business models.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been part of SAP’s car fleet since 2010 and today comprise nearly 20% of the total. 51ˇçÁ÷actively incentivizes employees to switch to EVs. In some countries, employees receive financial support to charge their cars at home. 51ˇçÁ÷also expands the company’s own charging infrastructure regularly to meet demand and is currently testing a mobility budget as an alternative to a company car. Employees in a Germany-wide pilot can spend a monthly mobility budget on a range of transport options, from trains and buses to bicycles, e-scooters or shared cars. The mobility budget is an additional component of the sustainable mobility strategy.

“Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges worldwide, and we want to be part of the solution,” said Luka Mucic, 51ˇçÁ÷CFO, member of the Executive Board and Board sponsor for SAP´s sustainability efforts. “Our car fleet is an important factor here. We also want to help our customers to achieve their climate goals. That is why we are consistently expanding our portfolio of sustainability solutions.”

At COP26, 51ˇçÁ÷presents a range of software solutions to enable enterprises and organizations to make operations and supply chain management sustainable. The SAPÂŽ Product Footprint Management solution released in September enables organizations to combat climate change by capturing the environmental footprint of products across the value chain. This way they can build sustainability into the fabric of how they do business.

51ˇçÁ÷also offers solutions specific to e-mobility, including optimizing and simplifying EV-charging infrastructure and standardizing related business processes. The 51ˇçÁ÷E-Mobility solution bridges the physical charge point into SAP’s intelligent suite for business processes and makes invoicing, billing and reimbursement, and accounting easier.

To learn more, check out 51ˇçÁ÷at COP26 and .

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*Emission-free vehicles refers to vehicles that do not emit exhaust gas or other pollutants from the onboard source of power.
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But successful action on sustainability requires a deep understanding of not only governmental priorities, but business and public sentiment as well.

Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, 51ˇçÁ÷unveiled the results of three in-depth research studies that together highlight the state of sustainability perception and action across both the public and business ecosystem — as well as what needs to happen next.

Mandate for Change: What the World Thinks About Sustainability

(WEF), 51ˇçÁ÷and Qualtrics polled a sample of the population across 28 countries in eight regions to understand their perceptions on sustainability and climate change in particular.

The explores how changes in the public’s attitude toward sustainability are creating a mandate for change at governmental and organizational levels.

The results clearly show that citizens and consumers around the world are concerned about climate change and its global effects. While 85% of those surveyed believe it is extremely important to address climate change, just half (50%) are optimistic about climate change progress.

In fact, while optimism is high in some regions, like South Asia (76%), other regions, like Western Europe (31%) or North America (40%), are less optimistic.

Most people (68%) say they trust climate science and scientists, a number that is increasing year-on-year. However, one in four people (26%) say global warming either does not exist or is a natural process.

Most importantly, the research reveals a clear mandate from the global population to see more action. More than eight in 10 people (87%) say it is important for countries to work together to address climate change. In addition, 59% of respondents say their government is not doing enough when it comes to climate change.

While most respondents agree that climate change needs to be addressed, just 28% say their country is prepared to address climate crises based on their COVID-19 response.

Sustainability Imperative for Business

The good news is that the business community is aware of consumer opinion and is increasingly prioritizing sustainability at the board level. Together, 51ˇçÁ÷and AlphaSense created a sustainability sentiment barometer using AlphaSense’s artificial intelligence-powered regulatory disclosures database of more than 68,000 companies worldwide. The analysis looked at how companies present environmental, social, and governance (ESG) content in public announcements. .

When it comes to ESG, the analysis shows that companies are making serious investments, conducting more reporting, disclosing more information, and increasingly updating shareholders on progress during earnings calls.

Sustainability is the highest trending topic in earnings calls across all business topics, followed by digital transformation. Sustainability has been spoken about 30% more year-on-year, up 44% since 2018. “Waste and pollution” is the most talked-about topic area, while CO² emissions have seen the most year-on-year growth (+133%) as a topic area.

While some industries show impressive C-suite focus on sustainability – including food and drinks, retail, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, and software and services – other verticals have work to do. Banking, semiconductor, and consumer services executives are talking about sustainability the least.

Opportunity for Business: Proving Correlation Between Sustainability and Financial Impact

Encouraging a more consistent global C-suite focus on sustainability requires not only an ethical case, but a business case.

That is why 51ˇçÁ÷Insights of business professionals about how sustainability affects business competitiveness and profits. The results reveal a clear correlation between sustainability and business performance.

The research shows that 80% of professionals knowledgeable about their organization’s sustainability activities see a positive relationship with long-term profitability, and 71% see a relationship with long-term competitiveness. While the long-term benefits of sustainability are not in doubt, a majority still do not see short- or medium-term benefits.

51ˇçÁ÷found the majority of respondents feel sustainability is not yet material (83%), or financially relevant, to their business right now. Of that majority, 22% believe sustainability will be material to their businesses within five years, while 61% think sustainability is a longer-term issue and will become financially relevant more than five years from now. Only 17% say that sustainability is a material issue right now.

The results also show that significant opportunities are available for businesses. Leaders who say sustainability is financially relevant to their business today and have taken action (17% of companies) are achieving better business results compared with the rest.

The 51ˇçÁ÷Insights research shows that while there is a cohort of businesses already successfully linking sustainability with financial success, there remains work to do for leaders to realize the opportunity sustainable business provides.

Sustainable Leadership Gap

What is making the difference for sustainably successful businesses? 51ˇçÁ÷research shows they have clear top-level buy-in, sustainability embedded into overall strategy, and effective use of technology.

The 51ˇçÁ÷Insights study reveals successful strategies to incorporate sustainability into business operations are driven from the top. Board or CEO environmental commitment was the leading motivator for action, above government regulation or corporate purpose.

That is not to say there aren’t hurdles to overcome. The top-three overall challenges to acting on environmental sustainability are lack of clarity on how companies should embed sustainability into processes and systems, difficulty in aligning their efforts with business strategy, and confirming return on investment (ROI) of the efforts.

Businesses that see sustainability as materially relevant today say their leaders have assigned accountability for actions that improve the environment to 21% more roles across the organization. And they are investing more and faster. Nearly half (44%) say they intend to increase spending on sustainability investments over the next three years.

In total, respondents most frequently cited mitigating climate change as the priority investment is.

Learn more about .

From Attention to Action: How to Come Together to Make Real Change

COP26 isn’t just a chance for world leaders to come together. While we need decisive political action to provide a mandate for change, businesses also need to step up and lead together with government, consumers, and other organizations. 51ˇçÁ÷is aiming for nothing less than a reinvention of the global economy.

This means putting sustainability at the heart of company strategies, not only to reduce negative impacts, but also to create regenerative systems. It means solving sustainability challenges in individual organizations as well as collectively across industries.

The status quo is not going to cut it. 51ˇçÁ÷has proven businesses that invest in sustainability and adopting leadership and innovation reap both environmental and financial rewards. But it will not be easy. Disconnected business processes and data that is distributed and difficult to access make it hard to approach sustainability strategically.

51ˇçÁ÷helps solve these challenges and enable sustainable success by providing companies with the vision, processes, technology, and data to be more connected, compliant, efficient, and competitive.

Learn more about , or contact Deborah Kaplan via email for more information.

With COP26, as organizations gear up to take on their sustainability ambitions more seriously than ever, this collaboration becomes critical to effectively support our customers. Here, we’ll bring you up to date on progress across a number of key initiatives driven jointly by our organizations.

Key Pillars for Our Partnership

This graphic highlights the pillars where we are concentrating our efforts. In each of these areas, we are developing targeted solutions to empower companies’ sustainability performance.

Crucially, all our work together aims to provide relevant support for specific industries, as companies in different sectors need to meet the needs of customers, regulators, and other stakeholders. As customers increasingly demand real progress, we are helping companies deliver on the promises they’re making.

UN Global Compact Partnership on SDG Ambition

We are continuing to accelerate our collaboration with the United Nations (UN) Global Compact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Ambition. The momentum of the continues to grow, with more and more companies now mobilized to accelerate both their adoption of ambitious corporate targets and integration of the 17 UN SDGs into core business management.

By embedding SDG-aligned practices deep into their business operations and across their value chains, these companies can make more rapid progress toward achieving the goals of the 2030 agenda.

The first round of the program successfully concluded in June, with over 600 companies across more than 65 countries participating and more than 1,200 company leaders taking part in accelerator workshops. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with 89% of participants satisfied with the program and 88% agreeing that the accelerator helped them identify new ways for their company to contribute to the SDGs. Additionally, we are about to launch a second round of the program, with an enhanced curriculum and multiple additional local tracks, including in Australia, Korea, Kenya, Argentina, and Canada. So far, more than 700 companies from over 80 countries have signed up.

Accenture shares SAP’s vision of zero emissions, zero waste, and zero inequality. To achieve a sustainable world, organizations have to transform into intelligent enterprises, and intelligent enterprises have to form a network of intelligent enterprises.

In addition to the accepted top line and bottom line, a new “green line” covering the environmental, social, and governance aspects needs to be established as another dimension of success across business processes and along value chains. This way, organizations achieve transparency and influence that span beyond even company borders.

Accenture and 51ˇçÁ÷together want to help organizations to become sustainable intelligent enterprises. To enable this, 51ˇçÁ÷is developing new solutions and embedding sustainability into existing solutions along the dimensions climate action, the circular economy, and social responsibility, as well as holistic steering and reporting. Accenture is helping organizations to design and implement strategies for achieving ambitious sustainability goals by leveraging the growing portfolio of sustainability management solutions from SAP.

Climate Action: Enabling Our Customers to Move to Low-Carbon Business Models

51ˇçÁ÷and Accenture work together to help organizations design and deliver carbon intelligence strategies that are powered by 51ˇçÁ÷solutions and technologies and address both direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We help our clients to define their decarbonization strategies and road maps. These go beyond simply achieving a target but are also intended to help sustain and monitor future ways of working. Our objective is to empower organizations to move beyond a compliance and reporting mindset, and instead harness emission-related intelligence in their businesses as a lever for growth and strategic transformation.

With the 51ˇçÁ÷solutions coming out of its Climate 21 initiative, we’re helping companies to accelerate their journeys to net zero, to kick-start the decarbonization of their end-to-end processes, and to integrate carbon emissions management into their business decision-making. All this is possible through 51ˇçÁ÷Environment, Health, and Safety Management (emissions management), whih allows tracking and managing environmental footprints on a corporate level, and the recent release of 51ˇçÁ÷Product Footprint Management, which allows calculating environmental footprints on product level at scale.

In addition, numerous 51ˇçÁ÷solutions — including 51ˇçÁ÷Ariba Procurement, 51ˇçÁ÷Concur, and 51ˇçÁ÷E-Mobility — will provide additional levers in the future for reducing scope 3 emissions.

Circular Economy: Joint Product Development

We have co-developed a new solution that 51ˇçÁ÷intends to make generally available this month, 51ˇçÁ÷Responsible Design and Production. The solution aims to address two critical challenges: managing complex extended producer responsibility regulations, which vary from country to country, and enabling every organization to reduce their use of plastic, thereby contributing to sustainable and profitable growth through less plastic, fewer fines, and lower cost.

Because 51ˇçÁ÷Responsible Design and Production directly leverages data from core enterprise resource planning (ERP) processes, it enables determining waste compositions and calculating EPR fees across numerous product lines as well as adhering to a growing number of different extended producer responsibility declaration schemes. To date, we have four clients testing the beta version of the new solution, released at the end of August, and they will be closely involved in assessing new releases.

Expanding SAP.iO Sustainability Cohorts

We have already seen 13 startups selected and moving ahead through the Sustainable Future program (). We continue to build on that momentum together, jointly mobilizing through SAP.iO Foundries locations in New York, San Francisco, Paris, and Singapore, where we identify, select, and mentor new startups that will bring new ideas to help solve our customers’ sustainability challenges in energy and natural resources, retail, and consumer goods.

Enabling Better ESG Reporting and Steering

Together, we are helping our customers achieve greater transparency in how they report on their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. This includes addressing the data capture and integration challenge so they can successfully build an ESG capability and choosing the most appropriate reporting framework for their organization. Our objective is to help them achieve integrated reporting that captures both financial and non-financial metrics, keep up with fast-evolving regulatory demands, and create differentiated ESG value propositions for stakeholders across the various frameworks, including GRI, SASB, TCFD, and others.

The World Economic Forum Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics promotes the adoption of universal and common standards and disclosures, unlocking long-term value through greater transparency, accountability, and business transformation. Based on these metrics, 51ˇçÁ÷is developing the 51ˇçÁ÷Sustainability Control Tower solution, which leverages SAP’s leading data integration, data management, and analytics solutions. 51ˇçÁ÷intends to make the solution generally available in December 2021.

Ready to Deliver Together

Our joint teams are ready to deliver. We are helping our clients to define their road maps, identify priorities, and accelerate their journeys through the selection and implementation of relevant 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA capabilities and new 51ˇçÁ÷solutions.

As we look ahead, we’re all focused on COP26 and the recommendations that emerge from it. To join us, s:

• Unlocking Promise of Sustainability in Asia-Pacific
  November 3, 2021, 9:00-10:15 a.m. GMT
  
• Business and Nature: Businesses Role in Realizing a Nature-Positive Economy
  November 8, 2021, 10:00-11:00 a.m. GMT
  

Learn more about our collaboration on sustainability here. Do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss how we can help you accelerate your transformation into a truly sustainable organization.

We look forward to sharing further progress soon.

Gunther Rothermel is senior vice president and head of Sustainability for 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA at SAP.
Stephanie Guimbellot is managing director at Accenture and global lead for 51ˇçÁ÷Sustainability and Innovation.

COP stands for “Conference of the Parties” — the parties are the governments that have signed on to a United Nations climate change framework. COP brings these governments together once a year to discuss how to jointly address climate change. The conferences are attended by world leaders, ministers, and negotiators but also by representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business, international organizations, and the media.

COP26 is different. It is considered a . The parties will review progress on the Paris Agreement made at COP21 in 2015. The Paris Agreement is an international treaty signed by almost all countries in the world to keep the rise in the global average temperature under 2ÂşC and ideally to 1.5ÂşC above pre-industrial levels.

Unfortunately, progress overall has been slow. Most countries have not achieved their Paris targets. Add to this a issued earlier this year that warns of increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts, and flooding, as well as a key temperature limit being broken in just over a decade. The report has been called a “code red for humanity.” The UN Secretary General has made it clear that there is no time for delay and no room for excuses. We can still avert climate catastrophe, but governments must make COP26 a success.

51ˇçÁ÷has : they need to agree on ambitious policies that will give business the mandate to drive innovation and action at scale.

Last week, 51ˇçÁ÷CEO Christian Klein outlined the importance of COP26 and the role business plays in chasing zero emissions and zero waste to achieve shared ambitions for a sustainable future. As a global multinational company with more than 100,000 employees worldwide, we are leading by example. 51ˇçÁ÷Chief Sustainability Officer Daniel Schmid outlines how the company is delivering its corporate pledge to be carbon-neutral by 2023 and help other companies drive end-to-end sustainable performance with technology as a critical enabler in making the net-zero economy a reality.

. More than 30,000 people are expected to get involved in the meeting live and . Government negotiations are the key activity at COP, but the event also features a range of activities for the public, including corporate and NGO exhibits, side events, high-level meetings, report launches, and exhibitions.

51ˇçÁ÷is participating in a number of COP26 programs and activities both in Glasgow and virtually.

51ˇçÁ÷is a of the and executives are participating in key sessions:

• 
  51ˇçÁ÷Executive Board Member and CFO Luka Mucic
  November 8, 2021, 4:30 p.m. GMT
• 
  51ˇçÁ÷Executive Board Member and Head of Customer Success Scott Russell
  November 10, 2021, 2:25-2:45 p.m. GMT
• 
  51ˇçÁ÷Chief Sustainability Officer Daniel Schmid
  November 10, 2021, 9:15-9:55 a.m. GMT

51ˇçÁ÷and its sustainability experts are also participating in other various sessions and forums across COP26:

• Unlocking the Promise of Sustainability in Asia-Pacific, a Fireside Chat with Anita Varshney and heads of Sustainability from 51ˇçÁ÷and Accenture
  November 3, 2021, 9:00 a.m. GMT ()
• A World Economic Forum Affiliated Session Achieving Shared Sustainability Goals
  November 3, 2021, 9:00-10:00 a.m. CET (Register )
• Panel on Scaling Up Innovative Digital Solutions for Climate Action, hosted by UNFCCC, European Commission, and GIZ, with Daniel Schmid
  November 4, 2021, 5:00 p.m. GMT ()
• Digital Solutions to Environmental Problems: Use Cases, Policy Approaches, with Thijs Eiling and Vodafon and Nokia executives
  November 4, 2021, 4:00 p.m. CET ()
• Accenture Panel Discussion on Business and Nature with Daniel Schmid
  November 8, 2021, 9:30-11:00 a.m. GMT ()
• One Carbon World Workshop on Climate Science-Based Targets and What It Means for Your Organization with Marcus Wagner
  November 8, 9:30 a.m. GMT ()
• One Carbon World Workshop on How Your Business Can Save the Planet with Jonas Dennler
  November 8, 2021, 9:30-10:30 a.m. GMT ()

COP26 is a critically important period when it comes to climate action. 51ˇçÁ÷will make several announcements over the period communicating the company’s .

This weekend marks the start of the 26th (COP26), a global meeting of nearly 200 countries to negotiate ways to limit catastrophic effects of climate change. COP26 is significant in many ways: it is the first COP to review and strengthen the Paris Agreement commitments, it is the first since the pandemic began, and it is also the first since the U.S. rejoined the Paris Agreement.

What’s more, many experts see COP26 as our last chance to avoid an environmental catastrophe. If there was a moment of true emergency in the fight against climate change, it is now. 51ˇçÁ÷is actively participating in COP26 to support ambitious government and business action, and here are three things I hope to see prioritized during the conference:

1. Reduce and Measure Emissions

Every country needs to raise the bar on greenhouse gas reductions and regeneration. We need to set ambitious emission reduction targets for 2030 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and ensure the goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C remains within reach. And we need to carefully track our progress. Since you cannot manage what you cannot measure, digital technologies will play a crucial role in this.

2. Protect Our Natural Habitats

The emphasizes the role of nature-based solutions to climate change, stating that we won’t achieve the 1.5° target without addressing biodiversity loss and land degradation. A fifth of the world’s 2,000 largest companies have committed to net-zero targets on emissions. Now it’s time for businesses to also make commitments to protect nature and in turn fight climate change and the biodiversity crisis.

3. Cooperate on a Global Scale

No country, government, business, scientific community, or society will be able to tackle climate change alone. We all need to work together to accelerate the transformation of our economies, deal with the impacts of the climate change we have already created, and bend the curve on global emissions.

At SAP, we lead as an, through our own sustainable business operations and practices, and as an enabler, helping our customers to manage their “green line” together with top and bottom lines. In doing so, we’re helping address some of the most profound environmental, economic, and social challenges of our time.

Supported by , organizations can go beyond “just” controlling their productivity and operating results to making climate protection measurable, diversity and inclusion visible, and ethical responsibility transparent. In this way, they can promote sustainable business practices not only in their own company, but across their entire value chain — from tracking their end-to-end carbon footprint to ensuring diversity, inclusion, and the protection of human rights.

Way too often, we think about sustainability in terms of the distant future, but each day that passes without taking adequate action is a day wasted. It is now or never for concrete global activities that can not only address the effects of climate change, but also have a lasting impact on its causes.

This weekend marks the start of a pivotal moment for us to work together to do so.

Christian Klein is CEO of 51ˇçÁ÷SE.